Naming the biggest game on Alabama’s 2018 schedule is easy: It’s Auburn, since the biggest game of the Tide’s season is annually the Iron Bowl.

Figuring out the same for the rest of college football’s strongest title contenders isn’t as simple. This week’s Top 10 list tries to tackle the topic by asking: Which regular-season game looms largest for the 10 teams atop the USA TODAY Sports’ post-spring Top 25 for 2018?

1. Clemson

at Florida State, Oct. 27

FSU still looks like the Tigers’ biggest threat in the Atlantic Division, even if the Seminoles finished last season below .500 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Clemson has won three in a row in the series, with last fall’s 17-point win the program’s largest margin of victory against FSU since a 35-14 victory in 2005.

2. Alabama

vs. Auburn, Nov. 24

You might be able to make the case that Alabama’s biggest game is actually one of LSU, Mississippi State or Texas A&M and not the Iron Bowl. Why? Because recent history has shown that Alabama can lose to Auburn and still win the national title — as in 2017, for example. But the Tide’s biggest game is nonetheless against the Tigers.

3. Wisconsin

at Michigan, Oct. 13

The road to the College Football Playoff isn’t complicated: Wisconsin needs to win the West Division and reach the Big Ten Conference title game with no more than one loss. Then the Badgers need to beat Ohio State, of course. The team’s biggest game could be a few in-division matchups — maybe Iowa, Purdue or Nebraska — but beating Michigan on the road in October would be a tone-setter for Wisconsin entering the second half of the regular season.

4. Washington

vs. Auburn (in Atlanta), Sept. 1

Not often does a team’s opener double as its biggest game. But that’s the case for Washington, which needs a jolt of national recognition to fuel its push for the Playoff. You won’t get a much better chance than by beating Auburn in Atlanta on the first Saturday of September. A win there would solidify the Huskies’ place as one the elite teams in the country and the team to beat in the Pac-12.

5. Ohio State

vs. Michigan, Nov. 24

Don’t forget that this game has been close in recent years despite Michigan’s inability to get over the hump. Though Ohio State has won all six tries under Urban Meyer, only one came by more than two scores; four of the six were decided by a single possession, including an overtime thriller in 2016. So is the Wolverines’ year? If could be, but only if Shea Patterson is as good as advertised.

6. Georgia

vs. Auburn, Nov. 10

There’s a case to be made for South Carolina and Florida, the two perceived rivals to Georgia’s ownership of the East Division, and maybe even a case for LSU, should the Tigers be better than expected. But the only game on Georgia’s regular-season schedule against a fellow team with title aspirations comes in the annual tilt against Auburn in November.

7. Oklahoma

at TCU, Oct. 20

Oklahoma’s year starts with a bang: Lane Kiffin and Florida Atlantic first and then Chip Kelly and UCLA, with both games coming at home. We’ll know by the end of September whether Kyler Murray is up to the task at quarterback. The Sooners’ most important game might be Texas, since the Longhorns should be better in Tom Herman’s second season. But it’s TCU that figures to be OU’s biggest threat in the Big 12 Conference.

8. TCU

vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 20

And vice versa for TCU. The Sooners have fewer holes to fill than do the Horned Frogs, who have questions to address on the offensive line and a new starting quarterback on their own under center. But TCU resembles one of those all-too-common Gary Patterson teams with talent to spare on defense and young skill players set to blossom in 2018. Despite the result of this October matchup, these two could meet again in the conference championship game.

9. Penn State

vs. Ohio State, Sept. 29

On paper, Penn State’s schedule is a monster. Rival Pittsburgh in September. Michigan State and Iowa in October. Michigan and Wisconsin in back-to-back weeks to open November. But those second-half games will have far less meaning should the Nittany Lions stumble at home against Ohio State, which would give the Buckeyes a huge head-to-head tiebreaker in the East Division race.

10. Miami (Fla.)

vs. LSU (at AT&T Stadium), Sept. 2

Much like Washington against Auburn, Miami’s date with LSU presents an opportunity to make a statement. A neutral-site win would put wind in the Hurricanes’ sails, even if the rest of the regular season might reveal LSU to be a national pretender. And knocking off the Tigers would vault Miami through a schedule that isn’t too difficult, all things considered. Though Virginia Tech comes on the road — and we don’t know yet about the Hokies’ quarterback situation — the Hurricanes get Florida State at home to open October.

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Joe Arcangelo (41) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadium. T Matthew O'Haren, USA TODAY Sports